Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
The next day, I still woke up early out of habit, took a stroll along Xitang River after freshening up, but today I didn't encounter the lady in red by the riverbank. It seemed she must have left Xitang after gaining some sort of enlightenment.
And me? Perhaps I'll stay in Xitang for a long time, but I'll have to leave one day, for my roots are not here.
Around 9 o'clock, I returned to the inn and found the innkeeper absent. Just as a guest was looking for a room, I helped with the check-in. However, upon hearing the room rate was 150 yuan with no room for bargaining, the guest turned and left.
I was a bit downcast, not quite understanding why he was so adamant about the 150 yuan price, unwilling to compromise.
A short while later, the innkeeper returned, carrying a blackboard with a "For Sale" advertisement written on it.
Surprised, I asked, "Boss, are you really selling the inn?"
"Mhm."
"The inn isn't beyond hope. You could adjust the prices according to the tourist seasons and renovate a bit. Business could still pick up."
He shook his head and said, "I didn't open this inn just to find a way to make a living here."
"Then why did you?"
He looked off into the distance, his expression somber. After a long pause, he lit a cigarette and said, "I've been waiting for a woman in Xitang… for five years now. She's probably not coming back, so I shouldn't stay here either. It's time I led a normal life."
I stared at him in shock, wondering what kind of force could sustain a person's five-year wait in Xitang, a wait that was perhaps even more agonizing than the years I spent waiting for Jian Wei, at least I knew she was in America.
But after five years, he had exhausted his last bit of strength and chose to give up waiting.
Curious about the story behind his wait, I asked again, "Could you share your story with me?"
He shook his head, "A story is just a story, especially one that has reached its end. There's nothing more to say."
His resolute tone forced me to respect his privacy once more. After a while, I looked at the blackboard in his hand and asked, "How much are you selling the inn for?"
"50,000 yuan, including the van used for picking up and dropping off guests."
"You're selling it short!" I pointed out, considering the inn's decor and electrical appliances must have cost him quite a bit.
But he seemed indifferent and asked me, "Are you interested in taking over?"
I was tempted, but accepting would mean being trapped in Xitang, possibly for years without leaving.
After weighing my options, I told him, "I'm interested, but I need some time to think it over."
He nodded and said no more.
***
Back in my room, Tongzi was already up, still engrossed in his online game.
I asked him with a smile, "Why are you up so early today?"
"You said you were going to take me out to eat, so I got up early to get ready!"
I looked him over and couldn't see any sign of preparation; he was still in his tracksuit, his unwashed hair looking like a bird's nest.
I sat back on my bed, lit a cigarette, feeling bored, and said to Tongzi, "Did you know the inn we're staying at is up for sale?"
"What? …Where will we stay then? I've paid a month's rent already!"
"The boss will surely make arrangements before selling. Don't worry about it."
Tongzi, reassured, nodded and refocused on his game.
I threw a slipper at him to regain his attention, "Tongzi, what's up?"
"What if I bought this inn? What do you think?"
"For real?"
"I'm currently jobless, and running an inn doesn't sound too bad!"
Tongzi's eyes lit up as he said, "Go for it, why not? If you need a hand, I can work for you!"
"Are you sure it's not just a whim?"
Tongzi earnestly replied, "Brother Yang, it's not a whim… You said how boring it is to work after graduation. It's better to stay in picturesque Xitang and enjoy the view of beautiful women every day!"
"If that's your attitude, don't even think about working for me."
"So what attitude should I have?"
"If I do decide to take over the inn, it will be run professionally. In a few years, our inns will be all over the country's scenic spots. That's my goal. Tell me, can I be happy with you treating my grand vision as a game?"
Tongzi gaped at me, eventually saying, "Brother Yang, are you sure you're not joking? …A national chain of inns, it feels like a dream!"
"Dreams often start in an inconspicuous corner."
"But out of the hundreds of thousands of inns nationwide, only a few have become chains. Isn't that too difficult?"
I laughed and said, "Compared to that, I think your dream of losing your virginity is a bit harder to achieve!"
Tongzi looked at me in despair… then skipping over the virginity topic, he asked, "Do you have the money to buy the inn?"
"No, but I can figure something out!"
"How about we partner up… If it really becomes a national chain one day, I'll be such a visionary investor!"
"Partner up? Where would a little nobody like you get the money to invest?"
"I could sell my game account… It's worth at least twenty thousand!"
I looked at him skeptically.
He continued, "Brother Yang, God is fair. If he's made me a virgin for so long, he must have given me talents elsewhere… I'm an absolute gaming master, and my college major was game development!"
I sighed, "To think you can make twenty thousand from playing games, what's become of society?"
Tongzi smiled proudly and said, "Brother Yang, let's open an inn together in Xitang!"
With lingering doubts, I asked, "Won't your parents object?"
"Nope, Xitang isn't too far from home, and I've just graduated from college. They won't have high expectations, and besides, running an inn is a form of entrepreneurship. We Zhejiang people are keen on starting businesses!"
I nodded, weighing the idea again in my mind… Since I no longer had a reason to return to Suzhou, why not choose Xitang for the time being?
Moreover, having been in a state of confusion for so long, I really needed a career of my own, even if it meant starting small.
Having settled on this idea, I finally said to an eager Tongzi, "Alright, let's let the dream take root and blossom here!"
Tongzi clapped excitedly as if he had accomplished a monumental feat.
I smiled and said, "Alright, go take a shower and clean yourself up. I'll introduce you to my friend later."
Tongzi nodded, grabbed his change of clothes, and dashed into the bathroom.